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Many Provisions Of START Treaty Remain Topical - Diplomat

MOSCOW. July 23 (Interfax) - Many provisions of the Russian-U.S. Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) remain topical, Director of the Foreign Ministry's Security and Disarmament Department Anatoly Antonov told Interfax on Monday.

Russia and the United States are working on agreements that will come into effect when the START expires, he said. "Although the treaty will remain valid through December 2009, it is necessary to reach agreements a year earlier, in late 2008," he said.

"The Russian side thinks that many provisions of the START Treaty remain topical, contribute to strategic stability, predictability of major holders of strategic offensive armaments, and higher mutual confidence," Antonov said.

"The START Treaty not only provides for the reduction of such armaments and their delivery mans (which is not stipulated in other treaties) but also sets limits on strategic armaments and the respective activities of the sides (for instance, a ban on the deployment of strategic offensive armaments outside national territories)," he said.

"Russian and American representatives are drafting a new agreement which, according to the July statement by the foreign ministers, will ensure succession and predictability in the sphere of strategic offensive forces," Antonov said.

"The debates the Russian and U.S. foreign political departments chiefs had on the sidelines of the July summit about the drafting of a new agreement will give an impetus to the negotiations and help achieve results as soon as possible," he said.

The full text of Antonov's interview will be posted on www.interfax.ru, in the section "The Russian Foreign Ministry: Facts and Comments" on Monday.